Exist Otherwise: The Life and Works of Claude Cahun

I found this book in London when I went to see Claude Cahun's show at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Not only was I blown away by the show but was pleasantly surprised to finally find a biography in English of the iconic artist Claude Cahun (Until recently all biographies were written in French mainly) ' Exist Otherwise' is a beautifully written and well researched book with a lot of anecdotes and accurate details of her life: both personal and creative. Claude Cahun was not only a visual artist she also wrote poetry, plays and was an activist fighting the Nazis in France till the very end (at one point she was sentenced to death but thankfully this sentence was not carried through). Claude Cahun was ahead of her times she was avant garde and transgender before we had those definitions. Immerse yourself in the amazing life of this iconoclast artist and get inspired to create something greater than yourself! Kudos to Jennifer L. Shaw for writing such a masterful and beautiful biography!!!

Incredible book for anyone interested in Claude Cahun and anyone seeking an inspiring in depth look into an artist's life

Claude Cahun is cool and interesting and her work is amazing. Jennifer Shaw's book has many fantastic illustrations and is very readable--not full of academic jargon.  The book is perfect for anyone who is interested in feminism, queer artists, and photography. I highly recommend it!

Shaw wrote a penetrating, indispensable study of Claude Cahun's Disavowals which is not restricted to a consideration of the work alone but also explores aspects of Claude Cahun's life and thought as a whole. As a result I rushed to acquire Exist Otherwise. The virtue of the latter lies mainly in the precious quotations from Cahun's writings and memories of wartime Jersey which are otherwise not easily accessible. Disappointingly, however, Shaw appears to have in mind a broader audience and consequently dilutes her acute gaze.